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Ideas
for picture books, stories, articles, poetry, and crafts have drawn Sharon Hart
Addy to writing for nearly 20 years.
Her first picture book, We Didn’t Mean To (Steck-Vaughn, 1981), is part of the Life and Living series, which deals with emotionally difficult situations children encounter on a daily basis. Her second book, A Visit With Great Grandma (Albert Whitman, 1989), has been praised for its warm and loving portrayal of a multicultural, intergenerational relationship.
Right Here on This Spot (Houghton Mifflin, 1999) was the recipient of the Archer/Eckbald Children’s Picture Book Award. Ms. Addy’s sense of humor and interest in the Old West produced the picture book When Wishes Were Horses (Houghton Mifflin, 2002). The Council of Wisconsin Writers honored it with a picture book award. Kidding Around Milwaukee (John Muir, 1997) is the nonfiction addition to Ms. Addy’s book credits.
Her work for children has also appeared in Cricket, Highlights for Children, Ladybug, The Friend, Winner, Hopscotch, Boys’ Quest, Pockets, Shine Brightly, and other magazines.
Combining her writing background with her teaching experience, Ms. Addy leads story-writing workshops for elementary and middle school students. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
More on Sharon Hart Addy’s books
Linda Aksomitis
A
two-time winner of the Saskatchewan Writer’s Guild Writing for Children awards
and a recipient of the Sime-Gen Editor’s nomination for her picture book, A
Gopher Gulch Red Riding Hood (Saxco, 2000), Linda Aksomitis is both a
storyteller and a writer.
Her book credits include the middle-grade historical novel, Adeline’s Dream (Coteau Books, 2005), and a YA novel, Snowmobile Challenge (Writer’s Exchange E-Publishing, 2004), a finalist in the 2003 Saskatchewan Book Awards for best children’s book of the year. A snowmobile enthusiast, she has also written two nonfiction books about the sport: Snowmobile Adventures (2003) and The Illustrated Guide to Snowmobile Racing (2006).
Ms. Aksomitis also has more than 500 articles for children and adults to her credit. Her work has appeared in Wee Ones magazine, Guideposts for Kids, SnowRider Magazine, Canadian Materials Magazine, Abilities Magazine, The Appaloosa Journal, Historic Traveler, and numerous other publications, both print and electronic.
In addition to writing, Ms. Aksomitis has been the Children’s Acquisitions Editor for an e-publishing company. She is currently the Managing Editor for the online snowmobile magazine, SnowRider.
More on Linda Aksomitis’s books
Nancy Alberts
“Hope
and determination shine through,” proclaimed a review by the Family Channel
about Nancy Markham Alberts’s first picture book, Elizabeth’s Beauty
(Morehouse, 1997).
“One of my first objectives was getting a story published in a magazine,” says Nancy Alberts. She met that goal in 1989 when The Friend published “Emily Didn’t Wait,” a story that was reprinted and translated into 20 languages.
That success and other magazine acceptances gave her a boost in confidence that finally led to her first book, Teeth Week (Scholastic, 1993), an early chapter book that has sold nearly 100,000 copies. Second Grade Star (Scholastic, 1996) and two more Featherstone School books, still in progress, have the same characters. No Toys on Sunday (Morehouse, 1998) won the Family Channel’s Seal of Quality.
Ms. Alberts enjoys the challenge of writing in a variety of genres. She has authored two easy readers, a photo-essay, and a series of board books that are awaiting publication.
“My instructor treated me as an individual, never a number. Her letters left me refreshed, reassured, and remotivated. She was my constant source of inspiration. I was very fortunate to have her as my guide.”
—Miriam Towers, Washington, DC
Jessica Lee Anderson
Winner
of the 2005 Milkweed Prize for Children’s Fiction, Jessica Lee Anderson’s
middle-grade novel, Trudy (Milkweed Editions, 2005), made a splash onto
the children’s book scene.
According to a ByLine review, Trudy fulfills Milkweed’s mission to publish literature that “conveys the essential experiences of the human heart and spirit.” Based on Ms. Anderson’s own experience of having a grandmother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, this touching story offers inspiration for young people everywhere.
Ms. Anderson also has several short stories and articles to her credit, including “Miracle on Stone Street,” featured in Mistletoe Madness, a holiday anthology published by Blooming Tree Press in 2004. Her first nonfiction sale was to Highlights for Children, followed by “Recycle Your Napkin into a Blooming Blossom” in Wee Ones magazine.
Ms. Anderson earned a Master of Arts in Children’s Literature from Hollins University and studied at the Children’s Literature International Summer School held at Roehampton University in London. In 2002, she received the Shirley Henn Memorial Award for Creative Scholarship.
More on Jessica Lee Anderson’s books
Marilyn D. Anderson
In
1982, a relative whose book had just been published encouraged Marilyn
Anderson to write a book about horses. The result was To Teach a Horse to
Dance.
Her manuscript, crafted with the help of Lee Wyndham’s Writing for Children and Teenagers (which she bought at a rummage sale), was not accepted, but the publisher offered her $1,000 to write a manual about the care of horses. The Horse Lover’s Handbook became her first published book.
Ms. Anderson has since published 17 books, including the very successful Hot Fudge Pickles, The Bubble Gum Monster, and The Bridesmaid Wore Track Shoes, all published by Willowisp Press. She also writes nonfiction books and articles, and visits schools to share her love and knowledge of writing with children.
More on Marilyn D. Anderson’s books
Haemi Balgassi’s
passion is children’s literature.
In 1996, the American Booksellers Association named Haemi Balgassi’s first picture chapter book, Peacebound Trains (Clarion, 1996), one of the best children’s books that year. The book also earned the prestigious Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators.
Ms. Balgassi got her start in 1992, when one of her young adult stories won a short fiction contest sponsored by ByLine magazine. Sales to Hopscotch magazine and the Cricket Magazine Group came next.
When her editor at Clarion encouraged her to write a novel, Ms. Balgassi made it her New Year’s resolution. The result was Tae’s Sonata, a middle-grade novel (Clarion, 1997).
Tae’s Sonata was selected as a Notable Children’s Book in the Field of Social Studies by the National Council for the Social Studies and the Children’s Book Council, and nominated for the Maine Student Book Award. It was also honored as an American Booksellers Association Pick of the List.
More on Haemi Balgassi’s books
“My instructor’s comments are precise and given with encouragement; her criticism is given where needed, and is never harsh or demeaning; and she always answers my questions carefully. Inspiration came when she told me my assignment was good enough (with simple revisions) to try for publication.”
—Susan J. Garman, Peru, IN
Miriam Bat-Ami
“Poignant,
passionate, and bittersweet . . . a moving reminder of the power of first love,”
said The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
in its starred review of Dr. Miriam Bat-Ami’s young adult novel Two
Suns in the Sky (Front Street/Cricket Books
1999, reprinted hardbound by Cricket Books, and Puffin paperback, 2001). The
Denver Post called what was to become the Scott O’Dell
award winner for 2000 and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults
“a
riveting and lyrical story . . . Remarkably evocative.”
Dr. Bat-Ami’s picture book, Sea, Salt, and Air, written in poetic prose (Macmillan, 1993), was given a Booklist boxed review and cited as being “a complex story . . . best appreciated by older children.”
Her pre-adolescent novel, When the Frost Is Gone (Macmillan, 1994), was praised for its realism and cited by Publishers Weekly as being “a novella of hard truths and tough times, offering a portrait of urban life in all of its colors.”
Published a year later, Dear Elijah (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1995/The Jewish Publication Society, 1997) was an American Booksellers Association 1995 Pick of the List. Dear Elijah was placed on the Bookshelf of the New York Times Book Review and cited by the Jewish World News as a book whose “theme is unique” yet universal.
Dr. Bat-Ami has continued publishing with the Cricket Magazine Group by writing poetry and short stories for Cicada. One of her young adult short stories, “All Because of the Pines” (Cicada, July/August 1999), was chosen as a finalist for the Distinguished Achievement Award by the Association of Educational Publishers.
More on Miriam Bat-Ami’s books
Bonny Becker
“Captivating . . .
outrageous and hilarious” was the verdict of the New York Times in a rave review of Bonny Becker’s picture
book, The Christmas Crocodile (Simon & Schuster, 1998),
illustrated by Caldecott award-winning artist David Small.
Ms. Becker’s first picture book, The Quiet Way Home (Henry Holt, 1996), was chosen for inclusion in a literature-based study program featuring top-quality children’s books. Tickly Prickly (HarperCollins, 1999) was selected for the Children’s Book of the Month Club. Her first middle-grade novel, My Brother the Robot (Dutton, 2001), was a Junior Library Guild selection.
Ms. Becker was selected to receive a Barbara Karlin Grant for a work in progress from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Other honors for Ms. Becker include First Place, Short Story Category, Pacific Northwest Writers Conference; and the Joseph Jackson Award (literary award), San Francisco Foundation.
Barbara Benziger
Ms.
Benziger’s career in children’s literature began in New York, where she
adapted fairy tales and other children’s classics into plays in which she
frequently acted.
This experience later proved valuable when she joined Parents Magazine Press. During her 11 years there she was involved in every phase of publishing, including evaluating raw manuscripts, working with authors on revisions, coordinating picture book texts with artwork, and negotiating contracts, rights, and permissions.
In addition to her editorial work, which included a stint at Waldman Publications as editor of school workbooks in math and English, Ms. Benziger wrote Controlling Your Weight (Franklin Watts).
She also wrote two books on Pentecostal religion published by Harper & Row titled Revival! and That Old-Time Religion.
More on Barbara Benziger’s books
“My instructor has been supportive and helpful throughout our relationship. Her criticism has always been constructive and tempered with encouraging comments. She is truly interested in my work and success as a writer.”
—Laurie Teachout, Sunnyvale, CA
Pamela Holtz Beres
Pamela
Holtz Beres graduated from the Institute’s course,
Writing for Children and Teenagers,
in 1989.
Her first sale to Pockets magazine, “Joey’s Almost Good-For-Nothing Day,” was published in August 1990. That story was originally written as a course assignment, as was her second sale, “Telescape,” published by Guide in September 1990.
Since then, her work has appeared in My Friend, Children’s Digest, Jack And Jill, On the Line, Partners, Junior Trails, and Wee Wisdom.
In 1999, Ms. Beres won the Pockets fiction-writing contest. Several of her stories were named top-ten finalists in Pockets contests of previous years.
In addition to her work for children, Ms. Beres writes feature articles for Lutheran Parent magazine. She has also written short scripts for radio, and articles for a variety of other publications.
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti
“Writing
has brought joy to my life,”
says Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti.
“It’s
also brought its share of hard work; but there’s little else—besides my
family and my students—that I find as rewarding as the entire process of
writing and rewriting.”
Ms. Bertanzetti’s more than 150 articles and stories have appeared in such publications as My Friend, Our Little Friend, Our Sunday Visitor, Family Digest, Children’s Writer, and On the Line.
“The process of writing articles can be therapeutic for you, the writer,” she says. “If you’ve been through some life event that’s challenged you, or if you know a family member, neighbor, friend, or local ‘celebrity’ who’s had an out-of-the-ordinary and/or intriguing experience, you’ll find good material there to draw on for an article. And keep in mind that photographs, sidebars, quotes, and anecdotes can help sell your articles.”
In addition to her articles, Ms. Bertanzetti has sold five books to publishers. Her credits include Rich in Love: The Story of Padre Pio Pietrelcina (Pauline Books & Media, 1999), a biography for young adults; and Poor Pio (Hard Shell, 2006), a biography aimed at three- to eight-year-olds.
Her biography for middle-graders, Molly Pitcher: Heroine, a Revolutionary War book, was published by Chelsea House.
More on Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti’s books
Idella Bodie
“This
lady knows how to get and keep a reader’s attention,”
proclaimed
the Marietta (GA) Daily Journal in its praise of Idella Bodie’s first
book, The Secret of Telfair Inn (1971).
“Her characters are as real and believable as the kids next door—and just as prone to get into unusual situations. . .. If you’re weary of books that have no more substance than chewing gum and your children are leery of ‘educational’ books that preach and drag drearily to a predictable conclusion, sample one of Ms. Bodie’s books,” the Journal wrote.
Five other books that followed were also a blend of history and fiction: Mystery of the Pirate’s Treasure (1973); Ghost in the Capitol (1976); Stranded! (1984); Trouble at Star Fort (1992); and Mystery of Edisto Island (1994), all published by Sandlapper Publishing, Inc.
Ms. Bodie’s biographies include South Carolina Women (Sandlapper, 1978, rev.1991) and A Hunt for Life’s Extras, The Story of Archibald Rutledge, South Carolina’s First Poet Laureate (Sandlapper,1980; iuniverse.com, 2000).
Carolina Girl (Sandlapper, 1998) is a memoir of growing up during the Depression and World War II. Ghost Tales for Retelling (Sandlapper, 1994) includes 27 scary stories and hints for effective storytelling.
The winner of the Guideposts Writer’s Workshop in 1980, Ms. Bodie is a frequent contributor to that magazine and to Mature Living. She is listed in Gale’s Something About the Author (volumes 12 and 89), which can be found in the research section of public libraries.
“My instructor is a wonderful blend of professionalism and patience. She corrects my mistakes in a compassionate manner. Her warm, caring nature is revealed in her letters. She questions everything to test my knowledge and skills along the way. She also gives loads of helpful hints based on her experience. She’s great!”
—Mary Lou Baute, Edgewood, KY
Fred Bortz
School
Library Journal called Fred Bortz’s book,
Catastrophe! Great Engineering Failure—and Success (W. H. Freeman & Co.
Scientific American Books for Young Readers, 1995), a “fascinating, thought-provoking book . . . [that] reads like an adventure story from the first to the
last page.” A joint committee of the National Science Teachers Association
and the Children’s Book Council designated Catastrophe! a Selector’s Choice on the list of
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children for 1996.
Dr. Bortz’s first book, Superstuff! (1990), was followed two years later by Mind Tools (1992). Then came Catastrophe!, To the Young Scientist (1997), Martian Fossils on Earth? (1997), Dr. Fred’s Weather Watch (2000), Collision Course! (2001), and Techno-Matter (2001), for which he was awarded the prestigious American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award.
Dr. Bortz’s first series, the six-volume Library of Subatomic Particles, appeared in 2004. Since then, he has moved to scientific biographies and histories for middle-grade and young adult readers.
Joan Chase Bowden
Joan
Chase Bowden is the author of 60 books for children and teenagers.
Her writing credits include the award-winning Planes of the Aces (Doubleday), Why the Tides Ebb and Flow (Houghton Mifflin), and Strong John and The Bean Boy, both from Macmillan.
She is also the author of Just Ben (Simon & Schuster); Monster Machines (Barron’s); Where Does Our Garbage Go? (Delacorte/Dell); Happy Birthday (Clarion); and Christmas Around the World (Clarion).
Ms. Bowden’s nonfiction series include Vanishing Animals, a four-book series; and Endangered Animals of the Mountains, Forests, Oceans, and Jungles, also a four-book series, both published by HarperCollins; and A World Without Elephants, Rhinos, and Tigers, a three-book series (Dial).
Ms. Bowden was one of the writers of the well-loved Trixie Belden mystery series. More than 50 of her short stories have appeared in juvenile publications such as Happy Times, The Friend, Humpty Dumpty’s Magazine, and Wonder Time.
More on Joan Chase Bowden’s books
Judy Bradbury
“This
is a good picture book . . . with instructions for the child to find all sorts
of things and count them,”
said the Philadelphia Inquirer about One Carton
of Oops!, the first book in the Christopher Counts series written by
Judy Bradbury and published by McGraw-Hill/Learning Triangle Press.
These full-color, humorous books for ages 4–7 feature endearing, hapless Christopher and teach basic math concepts both through the story and through “minds on” activities embedded in the illustrations. Titles in the Christopher Counts series are: One Carton of Oops! (1997), Double Bubble Trouble! (1998), A High-Fiving Gift for Mom (1998), and Doggone Lemonade Stand! (1998).
Ms. Bradbury is also the author of a four-book series entitled Children’s Book Corner: A Read-Aloud Resource with Tips, Techniques, and Plans for Teachers, Librarians, and Parents published by Libraries Unlimited.
Ms. Bradbury has also published articles in professional publications for teachers, parent magazines, and local newspapers, including Baby Talk, Lollipops, Western New York Family, and the Buffalo News. She was previously a children’s book review columnist for Mother Connection.
Judy Bradbury maintains active membership in the International Reading Association, the Niagara Frontier Reading Council, and the Western New York Whole Language Consortium. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Association of Professional Women Writers.
“My instructor has fine teaching skills. She’s been supportive, critical, patient, and encouraging, instilling confidence in me. She has kept my dream of being a successful writer alive!”
—Diane Arth, Cleveland, OH
Linda Crotta Brennan
Linda
Crotta Brennan gained insight into children’s
imaginations through her own rich childhood and later training. She earned her
degrees in college and graduate school in child development and early childhood
education.
Ms. Brennan has been published in Highlights for Children, Cricket, Ladybug, Turtle, Humpty Dumpty’s Magazine, My Friend, and Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company’s On My Own anthology. A story Ms. Brennan sold to Highlights, “The Dream Violin,” became the title story in a paperback anthology put out by Boyds Mills Press.
Her first picture book manuscript, Flannel Kisses, was followed by a sequel, Marshmallow Kisses (Houghton Mifflin, 2000), which won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award.
Her other titles include The Black Regiment of the American Revolution (Moon Mountain Publishing, 2004) and North Carolina (Scholastic, 2003).
Ms. Brennan was a recipient of the Highlights for Children Foundation’s Eve Bunting Scholarship to the Chautauqua Workshop, and she has served as a Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
More on Linda Crotta Brennan’s books
Nancy Butts
“The
suspense builds to a surprising climax that leaves you wondering: if time can
stop, can it also go backward?”
That’s what Booklist wrote
about Nancy Butts’s science fiction novel, The Door in the Lake (Front Street, 1998; Puffin, 2000).
Nancy Butts’s novel appeals to young readers not just because of its gripping plot, but also because it touches them on a personal level as well. This dual appeal has resulted in much recognition.
The American Library Association recommended The Door in the Lake as a Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. The University of Wisconsin School of Education included it in its prestigious Choices book list in 1998. The book has also been nominated for three state awards.
Ms. Butts found a publisher for her first young adult novel, Cheshire Moon (Front Street, 1996), just four months after completing it. But her success was the result of years of hard work.
She learned the basics of writing as a reporter and editor for a small town newspaper, in the process earning three awards from the Georgia Press Association and one from the Georgia School Board Association.
Ms. Butts graduated magna cum laude from Duke University, and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Patricia Calvert
Patricia
Calvert’s first novel, The
Snowbird (Scribner, 1980), was a success by any measure.
The book won three awards: Best Book award from the American Library Association; the juvenile fiction award from the Society of Midland Authors; and the juvenile award from the Friends of American Writers. The YWCA selected The Snowbird for its Outstanding Achievement in the Arts award.
Yesterday’s Daughter (Scribner, 1986) was a Junior Literary Guild selection, and Stranger, You and I (Scribner, 1987) was a special selection for reluctant readers by YASD. Bigger (Atheneum, 1994) was a nominee for the Mark Twain Award and Glennis, Before and After (Atheneum, 1996) won the Christopher Award.
Ms. Calvert later turned her attention to nonfiction, with the publication of The American Frontier (Atheneum, 1997). She has published more than 100 short stories and articles in Highlights for Children, Jack And Jill, Junior Life, The Friend, and more.
More on Patricia Calvert’s books
Lorri Cardwell-Casey
A former student of the
Institute, Lorri Cardwell-Casey has more than 450 works of nonfiction, fiction,
and poetry to her credit.
Her writing career began with an impressive first sale to Highlights for Children. Since then, her nonfiction works have appeared in Guideposts for Kids, Family Circle, ParentLife, Woman’s Day, Writer’s Digest, ByLine, Freelance Writer’s Report, and more.
Ms. Cardwell-Casey also enjoys writing humorous fiction and poetry. Her children’s fiction has been published in Humpty Dumpty, Turtle Magazine for Preschoolers, and Young Equestrian; poetry credits include Capper’s and the Christian Science Monitor. She is a recipient of the Arkansas Poetry Award, and her poetry was published in an anthology called Sisters (Anderie Poetry Press, 1994).
A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Ms. Cardwell-Casey coordinated the Northwest Arkansas SCBWI critique group for ten years, and later established a similar group in southeastern Michigan. She is also a member of the Authors Guild and the Missouri Authors Guild.
“My instructor is the perfect role model. She responds to me on a personal level, not just about my writing, but also about the business of writing and my goals. I wouldn’t want any other instructor.”
—Katherine T. Mohan, Haymarket, VA
Virginia Castleman
“My
daughter was intrigued by the Mommi Watta character, because she was not
entirely good or entirely bad. This kind of subtlety is refreshing in a
children’s book,” says Parenting
Magazine of Virginia Castleman’s book
Mommi Watta—Spirit of the River (Flatland Tales Publishing,
1996).
Ms. Castleman’s other books, A Pile of Pups and Sky High (Hearth-Song, 2000), have also received high praise. The nonfiction addition to her book credits is Erosion (Perfection Learning, 2005).
Virginia Castleman’s writing career began with articles for various newspapers and newsletters and “grew” into books and magazine stories. Her retold tale, “Rabbit and Tiger,” appeared in Highlights for Children (May, 1999). Reprints of her story have been sold to Instructivision, Inc., and Harcourt School Publishers. Her novel, Strays, was a finalist for the Nevada Arts Council Fellowship Award, and winner of the Floyd Salas Fiction Writer’s Award.
Currently, Ms. Castleman is an Associate Editor and freelance writer for Northern Nevada Family Magazine, a parenting publication. She also teaches writing through the University of Nevada (Reno).
More on Virginia Castleman’s books
Clara Gillow Clark
“This
fine historical novel, set in the late 1880s, dramatizes the hardship among the
laboring Irish . . . What is moving here is Nellie’s rebellion, her yearning
for independence,” wrote Booklist
of Clara Gillow Clark’s young adult novel, Nellie
Bishop
(Boyds Mills Press, 1996).
Nellie Bishop was selected as an ABA Pick of the Lists, and chosen as an Honor Book by the Society of School Librarians International. The journals, drafts, and original manuscript for the book are now part of the Kerlan Collection (Children’s Literature Research Collection) at the University of Minnesota.
Willie and the Rattlesnake King (Boyds Mills Press, 1997) was selected for the Young Adult Choice Award in 1999 by the International Reading Association.
Ms. Clark was honored by Highlights for Children (March 2000) for a story written about her own childhood. She also received an award from Childfirst Services, Inc. for her novels Nellie Bishop and Willie and the Rattlesnake King.
More on Clara Gillow Clark’s books
Michael L. Cooper
“[Michael
L.] Cooper has a straightforward, empathetic style that seems ideal for young
readers,” said the Washington Post Book World
about Mr. Cooper’s book, Indian School: Learning the White Man’s Way
(Clarion, 1999).
Book World also wrote, “A talented and able historian, Cooper effectively uses the students’ own words and remarkable period photographs to convey the cultural deprivation, loneliness, and abuse that Indian students frequently endured.”
A full-time writer for the past fifteen years, Mr. Cooper’s most recent books are Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s (Clarion, 2004); Remembering Manzanar: Life in a Japanese American Relocation Camp (Clarion, 2002); and Slave Spirituals (Clarion, 2001).
Horn Book magazine described Mr. Cooper’s Fighting for Honor: Japanese Americans and World War II (Clarion, 2000) as “a vivid account . . . Cooper’s awareness of the power of understatement permeates the book, rendering the facts all the more powerful.”
Many of Mr. Cooper’s books have been honored by starred reviews in School Library Journal and Kirkus.
They also have been selected for several prestigious lists, including the American Library Association’s list of ALA Notables; the ALA’s Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) Nonfiction Honor list; the National Council of Social Studies/Children’s Book Council’s list of Notable Children’s Books in the Field of Social Studies; the International Reading Association’s 25 Notable Books for a Global Society; and the New York Public Library’s 100 Best Books for the Teen Age.
More on Michael L. Cooper’s books
“My instructor is very positive in his evaluations. He offers ideas and constructive criticism, which often make me see things in a completely different light. His interest in my personal success is genuine, which makes me that much more eager to do my best. A caring instructor and definitely a keeper!”
—Deborah Burt, Fond du Lac, WI
Kim Delmar Cory
Kim
Delmar Cory’s two children’s books, Lilly’s Way and Charlie
Boy, were published by Royal Fireworks Press in 1998 and 1999,
respectively. They are meticulously researched historical novels and are
frequently used in fourth-grade curriculums for the study of Michigan history.
Both books are set in turn-of-the-century Michigan.
Ms. Cory’s freelance writing experience includes feature articles for Big Beautiful Woman Magazine, Home Spotlight, the Detroit Free Press, and for local publications such as Lansing Metropolitan Woman and Lansing City Limits. She has also created marketing copy for a nationwide travel project and for websites of nationally distributed products, such as Perrier water.
In addition to her freelance writing for magazines, newspapers, and other publications, Ms. Cory has taught college classes in writing, children’s literature, and writing for publication.
Ms. Cory is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, where she is on the Speaker’s List; she also holds a membership card to the Michigan Council for Teachers of English.
More on Kim Delmar Cory’s books
Jan Czech
Jan
Czech’s young adult novel, Grace Happens (Viking, 2005), “[fits]
comfortably into the chick-lit genre,” according to Booklist, while
School Library Journal predicted that “teens will be drawn into this novel.”
In addition to this YA novel, Ms. Czech is also the author of three picture books and two books for the education market.
The Coffee Can Kid (Child Welfare League of America, CWLA, 2002) received a starred review from School Library Journal and was praised for being “reassuring” and “well written.” Booklist called An American Face (CWLA, 2000) “noteworthy.” Her third picture book, The Garden Angel (Centering Books, 2000), is a tribute to her late father.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Ms. Czech spent 16 years as a middle-school English teacher. Her teaching experience helped prepare her to write for the education market, which began with a nonfiction book, Vermont (Children’s Press, 2001). The Rhino (Enslow, 2005) followed as part of Enslow’s My Report Link.com series on endangered animals.
Ms. Czech also has numerous magazine articles to her credit, which have appeared in publications such as Roots and Wings and Western New York Family Magazine. She has also written more than 300 articles for her local newspaper, the Buffalo News.
Ms. Czech is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Association of Professional Women Writers.
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